When you think about some of the leading tecchie hubs in the world, you might consider Silicone Roundabout in London, or Silicon Valley in California.
But from cool California, another tech hub is emerging – Israel. That’s right folks, the land of milk and honey is where it is at right now.
At present there is plenty of dynamism and thirst for Israel’s tech startups. The scene is awash with venture capitalist sticking their two or three million shekels worth in. Israel’s worth on the stock market is estimated to be worth in excess of $40 million – oy vey.
Pioneering innovation and ground breaking technology has given birth to a crop of Israeli companies from many fields including finance and healthcare. But enough of the kvelling it is to an interesting app that we turn our attention.
The App
Get a sneak peek of our new beta for Androids! It’s got a new look & feel, Check it out: http://t.co/js3cRsZ4Mn pic.twitter.com/1TsaQ4G66I
— GlassesOff (@GlassesOff_App) July 3, 2014
A unique application has been developed to potentially eradicate glasses for millions of wearers. Sound interesting? Well grab a bowl of matzoh ball soup and read on.
It comes from Israeli based company GlassesOff. Their special exercises have been created in order to reduce individuals vision age. At present, the application has been downloaded by more than 1 million users worldwide.
The problem
Now most of us over a certain age around 40 will have that certain squinting feeling. Our peepers are so darn tired that we find ourselves concentrating even hard to do the simplest of tasks. This includes the likes of reading the paper as well as scramble you way through that sudoku.
You may even reach for those all important glasses in order to see what you are literally having from the restaurant menu. But if you’re saying cordon blergh more often than not, then this nifty app might assist you.
Its main objective is a very simple one, to do away with reading glasses in less than twelve weeks. A bold claim you might think but it’s certainly worth a punt.
The response
Donna, Thank you for the amazing review. Want to share your experience? Just go to the app store & write a review! pic.twitter.com/SOLC6DgtaD — GlassesOff (@GlassesOff_App) May 8, 2016
Located in Tel Aviv, one of the most cosmopolitan and vibrant cities of the world, GlassesOff have had their technology given the once over by the University of Berkeley.
And the boffins gave it a big thumbs up as it to be a resounding success – a spectacular one you might say! Their app was tested and more than 9 in 10 of users no longer felt the need for reading glasses.
And that is not all. More than 90 per cent of people who tried the app brought their vision age down by around eight and a half years.
The efficiency of GlassesOff knows no bounds, so much so that it was piloted (pardon the pun!) by the Israeli Air Force. Looks like the sky is very much the limit for the founders.
The app has been in existence for two years with a French version launched in 2015. With more than 1 million subscribers, it is no wonder they are the talk of tech town.
How does it work?
In the first instance, the app goes through a step by step vision test. In this particular assessment, you will be asked to locate a letter which looks similar to an E. As soon as you have confirmed which direction the letter is running, you will need to click on the correct response.
Consequently, if the application feels you are suitable it will personally tailor a programme according to your specific needs. It really is as simple as that.
A training programme is outlined that involves brain training not to mention image processing capacity. In most cases, this usually tends to reduce the older one gets.
However, with the app, it will concentrate on the brain in comparison to other strategies which focuses on the eye.
Seems like hard work, well not really if you put your mind to it. All that is required of you is three sessions a week lasting no more than ten minutes.
In order to obtain the maximum success rate, it is advised that you should spend following this pattern for at least eight weeks. Only then will you see your reliance on reading start to diminish.
In spite of the fact that the bar is set quite high, it is very much like a series of exercises. They feature rapid reaction time of looking for either white, black or grey stripes which are shown on the screen at varying speeds. This is all encapsulated in tiny circles which users must look at and press yes or no depending on what you can identify.
In addition to this, GlassesOff has also incorporated what is known as Gabor Patches. No, it is nothing to do with Zsa Zsa but it has gained a lot of scientific recognition. This is due to having the ability to stimulate cells which can be found in the visual part of the brain.
Unfortunately, it is not all plain sailing just yet. The more you play the harder it becomes minus the big boss at the end of course.
Dianne can read clothing sizes in the shops without needing her reading glasses!Well done! https://t.co/6z0nKRjc38 pic.twitter.com/ZGYZ92WI6O
— GlassesOff (@GlassesOff_App) April 26, 2016
The future
With no Dr. Robotnik in sight, the app adjusts depending on your continual progress. But it’s not just progress where the app is looking to improve. On top of this, GlassesOff is on the lookout for more funding for their activities.
With more sought and partners brings all sorts of expansion for the Israeli company. They have the intention to roll out their app to include several new languages, whilst other apps aren’t off the table.
These would sit alongside GlassesOff in a much broader corporation with a possible focus on eye related disorders. The app is available to download on both the iOS and Android platforms. Prices are 10 euros for a month subscription plan, whilst three months will set you back 25 euros.
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